May 27, 2010 was a significant date in my life. A day I will never forget. Through random circumstances I was invited to present “MLS as a Case Study for Building a Sustainable I-League” at the Indian Football Forum hosted by SportzPower. Anyone who has met me for more than 5 minutes knows that one of my dreams in life is to integrate the MLS business model into Indian football. The presentation was the ideal opportunity for me to begin introducing people in the Indian football community to who I am and what I’m committed to accomplishing in this wonderful country.
I put together a presentation that provided an accurate look at the current issues plaguing the 3 year old I-League and how MLS overcame those same issues. The most important part of the presentation was that there were some clear action items on how the I-League can move forward. What I’ve learned is that during conferences in India, the presenters, panelists, keynotes, moderators, chaiwallahs, etc… like to talk and talk and talk and talk. Nothing gets accomplished outside of the fact that every person in the room caught up on a little more sleep. Knowing this I ensured that I was clear, concise and had laid out calls for action. The presentation went well and after I answered a barrage of questions I was ambushed by the press. It really felt like my 15 minutes of fame becasue all of a sudden I had lights, cameras and interviewers in my face. A little overwhelming, but I loved it.
The best moment (for me) came after the all the madness died down. AIFF General Secretary, Mr. Alberto Colaco (pictured to the right), came up to me, shook my hand and said that I did a great job. Just 4 years back I travelled to India just to sit with this man for 15 minutes to talk to him about how MLS could support the I-League. I had come across this gentlemen a few times in between and he never really gave me a second look. Now all of a sudden he not only knows who I am, but he has a sense of what I’m capable of doing. It was a good feeling to see how far I have come in just a few years. Anyway, it was a great day that has led to exciting meetings, ideas, etc… however, I will be the first to say that a presentation is just words and what really matters is the action that follows.